I've been wearing minimalist shoes for well over a decade now. The company doesn't really matter so much as how many mm of sole there is. It completely cured all my knee issues, and in fact when I wear shoes which have a normal amount of cushion my knees complain at me now, lol. Merrell and Vasque were my previous go to brands, but I started buying even cheaper ones on amazon lately - whitin has served me fine.
this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
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minimalist shoes
oh wow. is that like the ones with the seperated toes, or are you doing something more like this?
I hate the toe separation gimmick nonsense. Minimalism is about approaching barefoot as close as possible - this means you want zero heel drop (heel is not raised), minimal sole thickness (I aim for somewhere around 3-7mm), the sole should not be compressible, and a wide toe box (no toe compression).
The New Balance 574. I've tried replacing them with similar shoes from other brands, even Asics which are considered good. But, nothing feels better on me feet.
They have a great sole that's just right. Not too hard that it'll hurt your whole back, knees and feet, but not too soft that you'll sink heel first into them either.
The heel is raised just a little which seems to relieve a lot of tension in my lower back. It also supports my feet's arch which relieves tension in my feet also. They're usually pretty durable, though I found the build quality to have decreased in the past 5 years. The sole also doesn't last as long as it used to.
New Balance 574
Nice, functional and not too dorky. You ever try those Hokas that everyone has been wearing lately? Some older folks in my life tried them and were shocked by how comfy they were for day-to-day.
I work in Healthcare, and people here swear by the Hokas. Never been worth the price for me because I also hate the look
My personal favourites are the 574 core in light gray. They don't look dorky at all. They're pretty stylish.
The Hokas though look like you're wearing something meant for outer space.
They don’t look dorky at all. They’re pretty stylish.
Maybe my sense of shoe fashion is a little out of date. Historically, any attempt to match trainers with a non-athletic outfit has seemed sorta dorky to me. Now, times have changed and skinny jeans aren't in vogue anymore, so maybe my fashion sense is just outdated.
The Hokas though look like you’re wearing something meant for outer space.
Right??? It really kind of demands attention if you're wearing it. I guess that's a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your intention.
Yeah wearing sneakers with a business casual attire is acceptable as long as the colors are pretty conservative and the shoes are clean.
Today I was wearing a dark pink polo shirt with navy blue chino pants with a gray belt and my gray suede sneakers. That's fine.
Birkenstock Arizonas. Been living in them since 1993, and I hate having my feet enclosed. The only shoe size I know is 43.
Hard to argue with a classic.
How many times have you replaced them over the years? What color do you go for when you replace them?
I've had several pairs. My first were hunter green, and I absolutely adored them. Then burgundy. Then I got a waterproof pair two sizes too large (ego at work ... I figured my feet would never stop growing). From there, it was blue-burgundy-blue. I picked up several pairs during Covid for $30 apiece off AliExpress, and after running the first pair into the ground (quite literally; the heel is gone on the right one), I'm now rocking sand straps. I've still got an EVA pair for when it floods, but I much prefer suede.
I always tend to skate shoes. Emericas tends to fit my feet just right.
Currently I have emerica Spanky Hi in dark blue
https://emerica.com/products/spanky-hi-navy-black-6102000141-402?option1=BLACK&option2=5
and emerica Winkowskis in purple. https://anchorsskateshop.com/products/emerica-winkowski-skate-shoe-purple
The Spankys are a lot more comfy, but the Winkowskis just look so good. Sadly they are discontinued
So far y'all got some very practical shoe choices. I guess when I'm asking "favorite", Beeple are going to praise the shoe that saved their knees, and I can respect that.
My favorite pair of shoes changes as often as I buy new shoes. Maybe this is my Libra showing, but my favorite shoes rn are my Adidas "Tyshawn Remastered" Sneakers.
TBH I just like white Adidas (they go with everything), and these were on sale when i bought em and had less plastic leather than my last white adidas. These ones have these subtle gold highlights that i think are cool AF, i've gotten into wearing gold jewelry to match and that's been a lot of fun. They are also the comfiest aesthetic-focused shoes i have ever worn, which is a huge bonus.
Classic. I can't do white shoes because of how dirty they get for me. I tend to have 1 or 2 pairs of casual shoes, and just wear them for everything